Henry

Amazing though, don't you think? The Star Whale. All that pain and misery. And loneliness. And it just made it kind. — Doctor Who: The Beast Below

Omar's Düsseldorf stage: earlier part of Bye Bye

Once again Vincent is proving to be a dick. Nils too though.

It isn't really the most subtle way to introduce us viewers to the classicism and elitism as one of the main conflicts of the show and the fact that Simon is different from the others because he is less rich and privileged and being ostracized because of that - but it's an effective way. In general, Young Royals feels authentic, genuine and realistic and I'll comment on scenes that enhance this later on.

Again the difference in their body language and facial expressions. While Erik is happy and excited to be here, to be back in the boarding school he went to and had lots of fun in, Wille is looking apprehensive and unhappy with the situation.

The conversation in Wille's room shows and tells us even more.

Wille is truly unhappy and angry about being here. Erik seems to not understand why he is feeling this way. He repeatedly claims that holding up appearances and smiling through uncomfortable situations is "easy". He obviously doesn't struggle with his role as a part of the Royal Family nearly as much as Wille.

These shots are so cool. The difference in their posture and expressions again and then Wille looking up at Erik. Beautiful.

And now let's all cry as the two brothers hug, as Wille clings to Erik and reluctantly watches him go, looking so small and lost. Looking back on it now that I know what will happen later in the show, it's such an intense scene to watch.

I completely missed the keychain and the little star stickers on Simon's locker the first time watching but those are such endearing details and tiny looks into his character. I love it.

I have seen a bunch of reactions to August calling Simon "Sosse" (socialist) and I want to talk about that.

Of course August uses this word to look down on and make fun of Simon, so it is meant as an insult. But that is because August does think poorly of socialists and communists. As someone of the Royal Family himself it makes sense that he wouldn't like the people whose ideas and beliefs threaten his status and privilege.

But a lot of viewers of the show seem to be offended that others call Simon a socialist or communist as if having this political view is wrong, and therefore agreeing with August on that.

August and Vincent calling Simon a socialist or communist doesn't come out of nowhere. It isn't just Simon's upbringing and social status but also his beliefs and what Linda taught him (which gets explored a lot more in S3 but I still wanted to talk about this now). We learn that his political views do align with socialist and communist ideas.

Of course Simon never states it explicitly himself, but I like to think that he is a communist and that's nothing to be ashamed of.

It's so crazy to think that this could have been Wille and Simon if Malte had gotten the role of Simon instead of August and Omar had gotten the role of Wille instead of Simon.

The first we see of Felice vs. the first we see of Sara… The difference in coolness is so clear.

I want someone to look at me the way Sara looks at Rousseau.

"I said no!" - you literally didn't, Felice. You made a passive aggressive and sarcastic remark that some people struggle to understand.

protective brother mode is ON.

It was clear right away that Felice was going through some things but obviously that wasn't an excuse for the way she treated Sara.

I love their sibling relationship so much. It's so cute and wholesome but also complex and I will surely dive into that in later scenes.

They look so nice laughing together. I am weak for a good, wholesome scene about family bonds and friendships.

Touching herself to an image of Wille, looking awkward but like a proper prince in a suit… that still baffles me.

This is so funny to me. Felice's reaction to Maddie saying "I'm not the one watching porn".

Her face looks like "See? No porn. I am a fine lady and only masturbate to pictures of guys with their clothes on".

So disgusting how Felice touched Maddie's hair with the hand that was just in her pants and Maddie letting her... Someone explain this friendship to me.

Cause I'm pretty sure Maddie knew what Felice was just up to, from the porn comment and the fact that Felice zipped her pants back up only after Maddie was already in the room, maybe even looking at her.

I've mentioned how I love that this show feels very genuine and subtle in different ways and Maddie's character is a good example. Upon her entering the room talking in English, every viewer asks themselves why she doesn't speak Swedish but that actually never gets explained in the show. At no point are we told where Maddie is from, if she is an exchange student or what exactly her story is. And I love that.

I mean I love Maddie, I wish she could have gotten more screen time but overall she remained a side character and revealing why she is going to Hillerska as a Non-Swede is frankly unimportant to the plot.

It feels so genuine to me that sometimes you see glimpses of others and wonder about aspects of their lives but never get an answer. That's how life works sometimes.

This is the first time I noticed that Wille commented a heart-eyes emoji under Felice's post. I never really looked at the names. It's kind of cute.

Sara has been at Hillerska for only a month and is already trying so hard to change to meet their standards - and change her family as well.

Of course there is nothing wrong with table manners but the way she corrects everyone and tells them what to do, including her own mum (who after a hard work day has every right to sit however she pleases at her table), is pretty rude. But that didn't even bother me as much as the next thing she says:

Talking about the students at Marieberg like that with Ayub sitting right there... that made me so mad. Ayub is a chill guy and maybe he didn't care, maybe he guessed or knew(?) that Sara didn't include him in that statement but it's just as likely that it did affect him. It was simply uncalled for.

Also it shows how Sara has already adopted a "them" vs. "us" mentality. She thinks the Marieberg students are losers who will never get anywhere in life, when she was one of them not too long ago. Makes me wonder if she's always felt like she is better than them. And now she is at Hillerska, part (but not really a part) of the elite and it's obvious that that means a lot to her.

And on the other side we have Simon, who doesn't care about Sara's quips and is a little shit about it. I can't really tell whether he is simply amused and irritated by his sister's behaviour or if he is already worried she will change permanently.

In any case he is looking out for her (talking to her about the way Felice treats her and keeping an eye on her to make sure she feels better at Hillerska than Marieberg) and not only her but his mum too:

You can see him think of what to say to make her feel more at ease. He's such a mama's boy and I love how much he cares for her. But it's sad that he feels the need to step in when Sara and Linda have an argument and reassure Linda that Sara will be fine and that Linda is a good mum and generally mediating to bring peace to their home.

Simon tries so hard to make sure his family is okay and that everyone is happy and untroubled. It might partly be his role as the man in the house that pressures him to take so much responsibility but I think it's more about Simon seeking harmony in his family life after the fallout of Micke's addictions.

And this need for harmony in his family and for his loved ones to be happy and carefree is ultimately the reason for any rash and irresponsible decision he makes. Like getting alcohol for August. Simon doesn't care for himself that much but he cares a whole lot for his family.

On a lighter note: look at this cutie!

Like mother like son <3

God, it must be so exhausting to never know what others are really thinking when you are talking to them. In this instance it is pretty obvious but I'm sure Wille has been and will continue to be in situations in which it's hard to tell whether someone says something because they truly believe it or because they think it's what Wille (or rather the Royal Family) believes and wants to hear.

I'm a little unsure about this scene.

With the way the upper class often justifies their status, beliefs and the hierarchy through religion, I'm not at all surprised that they take it seriously in this elite school. The monarchy is tightly tied to Christianity as well and Hillerska has a lot of students from noble families.

What I'm confused about is how clumsy Wille looks here. Him folding his hands and his "amen" are delayed, as if he doesn't know what's happening. I would imagine that he knows his way around a church and praying, considering he must be baptised and had his confirmation. But maybe I'm reading too much into this and he is simply distracted because of the whole situation and him feeling uncomfortable here.

I don't know if this is a controversial opinion since I've mostly seen fans love Simon's friendship with Ayub and Rosh but I am very conflicted about them to be honest. And this is one reason.

If I had an addicted parent, I would be heartbroken to hear that my friends went behind my back and bought drugs from them. Not only are drugs a sensitive topic anyway but Simon's friends buying from Micke also means that they are supporting him financially in his drug abuse.

Ayub apologizing for it shows that he knows that was wrong. He's lucky Simon is so lenient here because he'd have every right to be upset about it.

And then Ayub has the audacity to tell Simon to stay away from his dad. Who he himself bought alcohol from. I get that he is trying to look out for his friend but it's honestly fucked up to advise Simon to keep his distance while Ayub is still in touch with Micke.

Ayub seems to be an old friend and has likely seen or at least heard all about the situation in Simon's family until Micke moved out. He very likely also knows about the promise to break tie with their dad that Sara wrenched from Simon. So he must know that not keeping in touch isn't what Simon himself wanted but a choice he made for Sara's sake.

I'm really angry on Simon's behalf that everyone around him tries to dictate how he should handle that situation and expects him to stay away from his dad, when that should be his - and only his - decision to make.

Wille checking his own picture (the one Felice masturbated to no less) is very interesting. Is he checking whether or not one can tell that he hated that situation? Is he checking whether or not he succeeded in faking it and "keeping up appearances"?

And of course his mom dismisses his plea to come home. But we'll get to her and her parenting methods later.

The frog snow globe!

I think I completely missed it the first time watching. Now it feels like there is a lot in this tiny scene.

Foreshadowing to Wille becoming Crown Prince of course. But also generally being part of the Royal Family and the pressure Wille has always been under because of it. Wille's "I want to come home" seems to be a plea to get out of this life altogether but his responsibilities as the Queen's son are keeping him bound to it, the snow globe looming over him as a symbol of that.

It's possible I'm going a little overboard here but with art you never know. Literally anything can have a deeper meaning in the grand scheme of things and the way this scene was composed, it's possible I'm not too far off.

I don't agree. There is no excuse for child molestation and rape. It can never ever be excused. Whereas murder can have various motivations and some are very understandable (not saying that means it can be justified) and there definitely is a grey area here. Weird to think these students all agreed on that rating.

But I'm also fascinated by the wording here. Because from what I hear in Swedish it sounds like they were talking about pedophilia. That got translated to child molestation, which makes more sense anyway since they are talking about crimes. Pedophilia is a disorder that obviously results in child molestation if acted on. But in and of itself it isn't a crime. So I agree more with the translation here than with the original wording.

Maddie wears glasses???

God, these ignorant, privileged kids make me mad.

This is one of my all time favourite scenes in the whole show <3

Get their asses, Simon!

With the way he talks you can really tell that he knows his way around this topic and is invested in politics and social justice. I love Simon for speaking up about it in a class full of upper class teenagers who all share the same opinion. That's brave.

Then there is Wille, who looks kind of confused. I wonder if it's because he's never thought about things like that (very likely) or because he is taking in the class dynamic, watching how Simon is up against the rest of them. Or maybe he is transfixed by the fact that Simon dares to speak up against the others at all. Or you know, a mix of it all.

Wille will forever be adorable to me for introducing himself to Simon as if he isn't the literal prince that was just paraded around school and had the choir - including Simon - perform for him.

The class divide, the whole us-vs-them mentality is already so strong in this episode. From sitting at opposite ends of the table to the appalled faces of Nils and Vincent at the audacity of Simon wanting a word with August.

And what they do talk about is merely a transaction, Simon being of use and servicing the upper class by getting them what they want, for the rare chance to experience - and more importantly have Sara experience - the same social life they do. Plus of course August's condescending treatment of Simon. There really are a lot of facettes to this divide that this shows, I feel.

This scene was really emotional for me to watch the first time and still is. The complicated relationship between Simon and Micke is tangible and there are a lot of different feelings in this short sequence, as well as quite a bit of subtle information on the Eriksson family and its members.

There is so much in Micke's face alone in these few seconds.

Being confronted by his son about dealing booze has him shocked, ashamed. And then Simon asks him if he can get some from him too. I can only assume what Micke's thoughts must be in this moment. Is this how my son sees me? Is this all I am to him now?

For a moment that gets overshadowed by relief at Simon telling him that he doesn't drink, that he chooses not to follow his dad's path down destruction.

And then he is back to being reminded that he let his family down and that his relationship to his own children is shattered. Simon doesn't want anyone to know that he was here. Simon doesn't want to be associated with Micke, doesn't want to talk about him with his mum or sister. He came here to ask for something, not to spend time with his dad. That might be justified and I believe Micke knows that too but nonetheless it must hurt like hell.

And of course Simon is hurting too. He is obviously uncomfortable being here, seeing his dad in a bad state - unshaved and red around his eyes - seeing him hastily put away an empty bottle of what I think is vodka, sees the mess in his flat. Simon's hands are fidgeting and I bet he wonders why he came here.

But I think it wasn't just his deal with August. Maybe Simon was even secretly glad to get an excuse at coming here, as in S3 he states that he really wanted to stay in touch with his dad and only stayed away for Sara's sake. But now he's here and sees how it is and it must be a lot to take in and bring back bad memories for him. He hasn't seen his dad in a long time and they grew apart and I'm sure that's very difficult to handle for a 16 year old.

And then there is this thing. Micke asks how Sara and Linda are doing, gets an answer and asks the same questions again only a few seconds later. It could be his intoxicated state or the new medication or maybe even just his surprise and nerves over Simon's sudden visit that makes him a little forgetful and clumsy. But my own theory is that his memory has already been permanently affected by his drug abuse.

Right after he asks the second time the camera moves to Simon's face and to me it felt as if this detail made him think or even revealed something to him.

And I feel Micke forgetting about his son's sexuality is also a good indicator of my theory. Simon likely came out to his parents and talked it through with them and I can't imagine that you would forget about an emotionally loaded moment like that as a parent.

Still it is nice though that he was shown to us as unbothered by and supportive of his son's sexuality. It was a sweet moment.

One last thing (because I know I have talked a lot about this scene now and I should carry on): the satsumas/tangerines. We see Simon eating those several times over the course of the show. Is this something small and seemingly insignificant that he has in common with Micke? Does Micke always have some at home just on the off chance that his son comes visiting (I know that one is unlikely)? Am I reading too much into a bowl of fruit here? I mean, there is a lot of symbolism in this show and tiny things can hold a lot of meaning...

I can't imagine ever going through something like that. Wille looks terrified and we already know that he is an anxious person. Hazing can literally kill people and it' is simply a way's only purpose is to degrade and humiliate others, a power trip for those in charge.

I bet August, Vincent, Nils and all the others got off on letting the prince of all people crawl in the mud for them and give him a proper scare. Simply disgusting.

There is also something very ironic about the Queen sending Wille here to stay out of trouble because apparently they can't keep him safe if he is going to a "normal" school. Keep him safe from what? I bet he never went through anything even remotely as scary as this at his former school. And to think that Wille has likely been briefed and prepared for the possibility of being kidnapped due to being a part of the royal family, this must have been extra horrifying.

This makes it even worse. August knows that Wille has tried to live his life as normally as he can despite his role, has tried to go to a "normal" school, blend in with the "normal" people and feels uncomfortable about being in the spotlight. So what exactly is August saying here? "You want to be like everyone else? You want to be treated like everyone else? Well, this is how we treat them, so you're welcome"??

To cool down from the heavy stuff, how about a few fun party pictures from Wille's class?

No need to say much. This is just vile. But it's quite interesting to watch Wille's face go from that's a funny joke to oh shit, he's serious.

Wilmon looking at each other will never not be magical.

Party Prince Wille is in da house!

Obviously wherever he goes, Wille stands out, people stare at him, want to talk to him, etc. and he's being put on a pedestal because of his role as prince. And here and now it's the same. I think it is a very clever way of showing that in this scene with Wille literally standing out, standing higher than the others and them looking up at/to him. He's being idolised and I think that partying and especially drinking/taking other drugs is a way for Wille to bear that attention. At least in this situation he isn't being celebrated for looking put together and neat in a suit and smiling next to his mother, the Queen. In this context it is because he's seen as fun by people his age, even if their interest in him might not be genuine, might not be because of who he is but what he is. And drugs have a way of helping with loosening up in social circles in which Wille usually seems tense and anxious.

I can't stress enough how much I love Simon annoying Sara by being a dorky little shit. It's the cutest thing to me.

Back to drugs: it's very interesting to me how Sara and Simon have a contrasting approach to drinking. They grew up with the same dad whose addiction made their life difficult and broke their family apart. While Sara doesn't want to see him again, Simon very much does. And still it is Sara who has no problem trying out drinking herself, while Simon stays away from alcohol completely.

It makes me wonder if Sara can't comprehend what it means to get into an addiction and might blame Micke for becoming an alcoholic in the first place as if it is a choice, one that she will simply not make. She seems very angry at him for everything he's done and while we don't know what exactly that "everything" was, maybe she is throwing his illness in there as well. Sara gets a lot of character development throughout S3 but before that I have a feeling she had been very set in her views and opinions, whereas I think Simon is very open-minded and tries to see everything from both sides.

I think these shots are so beautiful. Like from an aesthetic point of view. And it's also interesting to see Sara being drunk, looking around in wonder and laughing when before we didn't see her expressing a lot of positive emotions.

I really thought they would become a couple when I first watched this scene but their friendship was more than enough. I love the portrayal of platonic love in this show and how real friends are so important and can make you feel so happy.

Once again, the way they look at each other!

The way they were so smitten with each other after such a short time always gives me butterflies.

It's interesting how Simon deflected from answering and then we have Wille lying about being happy here, none of them ready to confide in the other yet (of course not, they are merely acquaintances) while both of them are actually struggling. They don't know yet that this is something they have in common.

Once again, in case it wasn't clear: I love Simon being a little shit!

I really thought they were going to kiss...

I decided, since I took a lot of screenshots that I didn't include in my analysis but that I find great for various reasons (aesthetically pleasing, good facial expression/posture of a character, funny situation,...) I will pick a few I especially like and put them here, along with my favourite shots that I actually already included. Just my favourite pictures from this episode, really.